


The time Peter confessed his deepest secret

by Believe_Me_Dare



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-22
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-12 13:22:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,851
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29635293
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Believe_Me_Dare/pseuds/Believe_Me_Dare
Summary: When Peter freaks out in a medical exam, will he tell Tony his deep rooted trauma or will he just run away from all his problems like the Gen Z teen he is?
Kudos: 15





	The time Peter confessed his deepest secret

Peter, unusually nervous, stands at the doorway of the formidable Mrs Stark (or soon to be anyway-he doesn't know the difference). He has something important to ask her. I mean sure he could have asked Mr Stark but somehow Ms Potts seemed the more compassionate option. Plus he'd left Mr Stark in the med bay, midway through seemingly routine tests for any training superhero or vigilante. Usually Peter was fine with them but today they were doing a full body scan which he had not been subject to before, and he had not been prepared for just how invasive the tests would be. Anyway, he wasn't sure he wanted to see what Mr Stark had to say.

"Ms Potts-Stark-um Pepper Potts, CEO?"

"Just Pepper is fine, Peter, whats up?" with this Pepper approaches him- rightfully concerned- he was wearing nothing but an Iron Man themed hospital gown after all.

"Um, Pepper, hypothetically, if someone were to run away from, say, a billionaire, in his own tower during routine medical tests, what would happen?"

"Well, hypothetically, of course, if this superhero being tested was playing a joke on said billionaire, this rich guy who owns an entire tower may just have to ground this superhero inside said tower for all of eternity!"

"But Aunt May will wonder where I went? " Suddenly Peter realises that he messed up and maybe gave away too much. "Of course, this Aunt May is all hypothetical too... I gotta go!" With this Peter jumps out the window, the iron spider suit finding him before his landing.

Pepper barely has time to look flustered- (what? Of course Pepper doesn't know the meaning of flustered- she's never been it before)- before Tony rushes in. Now that's someone who looks flustered.

"Did you happen to see underoos anywhere near here?"

"Uh yeah, I think he jumped out the window. Of course, he had time to talk to me about a completely hypothetical situation first. " Pepper pauses. "You won't ground him will you? He seemed stressed."

"It's Peter. When you look up stressed in the dictionary, it comes up with a picture of him. But no. I may be oblivious but even I could tell that wasn't his usual freak out."

"He mentioned routine tests?"

"Fuck." Tony swears under his breath." I didn't think anything of it. But the last test in his medical to take place was his, you know, area. His um-"

"Don't worry, I know what you mean. So, was it another case of accidentally outing a trans superhero?"

"No, no. Peter, I can assure you, has been confirmed by doctors to be a boy through and through. We should get rid of that test though-or allow opt outs."

"So what are you thinking?"

"I don't know. But I'm going to find out."

\- - - -

Back home, Peter stands in his bedroom contemplating life. Obviously he can't go back to the tower or on patrol because Mr Stark will find him straight away. He can't stay in the apartment because Mr Stark has his address. Ned's house it is then.

"Hey dude what's up?"

"I'm staying at yours until I die."

"Did you fall over in front of the Avengers again?"

"Not exactly but close enough. But don't ask for details. I think my head might explode."

"Sure thing, dude. You've got perfect timing though, my new Lego set came in today!"

"Amazing! I'll see you soon."

Peter rushes around the room, packing all the essentials. He almost gets away with it until Aunt May bursts in the front door just before he leaves.

"Hey mister, I'm glad you're safe. Mr Stark called and said you ran out on him."

"Yeah we were doing some tests and I freaked out."

Aunt May suddenly remembers why Peter will only see female doctors, why when Peter bonded with Mr Stark, it was something of a miracle, why Peter is so much more emotionally mature than the other children.

"Oh, Peter." At this, Peter crumples, emotionally and physically. May catches the boy before he hits the ground.

"May, I can't face him anymore. He looked so disappointed in me when I ran away."

"Peter it's going to be okay."

"During the medical exam, all I could think of was his face, his sneer. I couldn't cope. I couldn't be strong."

"I know, sweetheart. You're in need of a break, I think."

"Yeah I was heading to Ned's so Mr Stark doesn't find me."

"Good plan. You go on and stay there as long as you need, and I'll ring Mrs Leeds and let her know you need a mental health break. " Aunt May brushes the tears off Peter's face until her phone rings. "That's Mr Stark. Get going so I don't have to lie to a billionaire!"

"I love you, May. Thank you!" Peter runs out of the door and May answers the phone.

"This is May."

"May! Is Peter there?"

"No."

"Oh god, we need to ring the police and-"

"I've just seen him, don't worry. He's gone out."

"Did Peter seem stressed to you?"

"Tony. I need you to listen to me. Don't interrupt. I know what happened at the tower and I know why. It's not my place to say why Peter reacted that way. You are not to blame. That's all you need to know."

"But May, when you put me down as a legal guardian. I thought you agreed to tell me everything?"

"I put you down as a legal guardian so that if anything happened to me Peter would be with someone he trusted. Not to tell you all of his trauma. I thought a PTSD, and addiction sufferer would understand that better than anyone."

"You're right. I'm sorry. Will he be okay?"

"We have an arrangement with Ned's mum where if one of the boys needs some space for mental health reasons, they can come over to the others' house to stay until they feel better. He'll be staying at Ned's for a while, I reckon. Mrs Leeds is also a single carer so Peter won't get any flashbacks thankfully."

"Can I offer her some money as thanks?"

"I don't think that would be appropriate but just a small card and a box of chocolates are the usual thank you gifts."

"I'll send them over."

"Tony, just remember he'll tell you personally when he's ready. He may not come by the lab for a while because in the Gen Z style, he procrastinates dealing with his problems but remember nothing was your fault."

\- - -- - ----

Peter doesn't come by the lab for a while but Pepper waits in the lobby each day under the disguise of assessing the office staff. They aren't idiots, they work at Stark Industries. Ms Potts started showing up straight after the scraggly haired boy stopped running into walls in his eagerness to get to the lab. They know he worked as Mr Stark's personal intern. They know Mr Stark hasn't been down in weeks and hasn't ordered unhealthy food for ages.

One Friday, Happy walks in. Although this is what Pepper had been waiting for, she is still surprised when it happens.

"He's in the car. Told him to wait, didn't question it."

"I'll go get him. Thank you." She walks briskly through the cold garage until she reaches Happy's car. She almost doesn't see him at first but then she spots a curled up figure in the backseat.

"Peter?"

"Am I in trouble?" The lump whispers.

Reaching out a hand, Pepper assures him, "No. We just wanted to make sure you were okay. I understand you've been at Ned's house for a while?"

Peter takes her hand and gets out of the car. He replies after a while once he signs in. "Yeah. Mrs Leeds is cool with me being there and Ned loves it. So is it a lab day or movie day?"

"It's up to you today. We understand if you want to distract yourself with science but we understand if you're not up for that."

"A movie sounds good. " Really nothing sounds good because in Peter's head there is only one thing on tonight's agenda: tell Mr Stark what happened. But he figures he'd better make sure Mr Stark doesn't have any tools on him when he tells him so movie night it is.

It's awkward once he sees Mr Stark and tensions are high but if Mr Stark is bothered by it, Peter can't tell. Eventually, Peter can't take it. "I'm ready."

"Are you sure?" Mr Stark pauses the movie.

"Yeah."

"Then take your time. We have all evening. All weekend if May decides sleepovers are ok."

Peter starts, and once the first words leave his mouth, he can't stop. "Mr Stark, when I was eight, something horrible happened. May and Ben were going out for the night and they hired a babysitter. He'd been recommended by so many people that they instantly trusted him. Skip Westcott. That night, he was all nice when May and Ben were there, but he turned nasty when we were alone. He forced me to perform sexual acts on him, and he returned the 'favour'. He raped me repeatedly, several times each visit. May and Ben didn't find out, and I didn't tell them. Until I turned twelve. They went out but May felt unwell so they came back early. They caught Skip in the act, and me in my first full blown panic attack. I was bleeding, bruised and damaged in every way. The physical wounds faded but the emotional damage will always stay with me. Once May and Ben caught him, they found a camera he'd used to record me. The NYPD had enough evidence to convict him but he'd committed suicide before they took him in. There was no justice we could get but I didn't need that. I just needed him gone. I'm sorry. I understand if you never want to see me again."

"Kiddo, how could you think that? In fact this makes me more inclined to stick around."

"Really? But I allowed that to happen to me. I didn't Stop him. For four years."

"It was never your fault, ever. You were a child, still are, and he was a trusted adult. All the blame is on him."

"But he's gone. Who would I blame now? I'm the only one still left from what happened."

"Peter, when my dad died, I felt the exact same way. Sometimes I still do. And I handle it badly, with alcohol. I'm confident you will cope in a healthier way. Have you seen a therapist about this at all?"

"No. May and I could never afford it. I'd have liked to though."

"For God's sake, I'm an idiot. We'll get you and May on the Avengers Health plan. You should have been on it from the very start, when I took you to Germany. Anyway, you'll get the best confidentiality agreement so don't worry about giving away information."

"Thank you, Mr Stark."

"What, even after all that heart to heart, you still can't call me Tony?! You are something, kid."


End file.
